The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-08-18
BELLEVUE La, THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 1887

There amt no chance o. her bein'
happy. ever" said Margaret ''She
amt got nobody to be happy for" and
then the hall door closed, and Margaret
went back to the kitchen to the society
of the cook.
Two hours later Mrs. Escott was in
railway train, twenty miles from Brent
wood. Her eyes gazed from the window
by which she sat, but she was thinking
of those last words her servant had ut
tered. Was it true? Was there no
chance for her even to know happiness
again? Was she never to have any one
ITO be happy for?" Some one had
once suggested to her to adopt child;
but she had recoiled from the idea as
from dagger thrust. She felt that she
could not put the child of any one else
in the place once occupied by her own.
1t seemed to her that it would be
treacherY to the dead.
There was a sudden jar, and the
train stopped. Five minutes later the
passengers were informed that there
had been an accident to the engine
which would involve delay of several
hours.
There was nothing to do but make
the best of it. The passengers all got
out of the cars and began to wander
about in the fields; and what with
laughing and grumbling, and explana-
tions about the accident, they soon be-
came acquainted with each other.
But Mrs. Escott did not mingle with
her companions in misfortune. She
walked away by herself, and seeing a
small farm house about half a mile dis
tant, concluded to 60 there and ask for
glass of milk.
The house was a small frame building
with neat flower garden in front; a
vegetable garden at one side enclosed
with paling fence, and an orchard at
the back. A woman was drawing water
: at a well under an old oak tree, and
when she heard Mrs. Escott's account
of the accident. she invited her very
cordially to enter the house and rest
herself.
The small sitting-room was very
poorly furnished, but every thing wa:
neat and clean. Mrs. Escott looked
about her with languid interest. hal
smile on her delicate, aristocratic face
This woman, she thought, probably
found the days all too short for hel
needs. She was a busy woman, o
> course, and had hands and heart fo
all the time. The room gave evidenc
of this, for on the center table was
4 work basket heaped with garments re
quiring mending, on chair lay halt
finished yarn sock with the needles il
, it, and in cradle in one corner lay
!, !, sleeping child of about a year old.
Suddenly Mrs. Escott gave a sligh
!. start and look of surprise came OF
y her face. She rose, and, crossing tn
> room, looked earnestly at the photo
. graph of man, which, framed in val
nished pine cones, hung on the opposit
wall. Yes, there could be no mistake
it was surely the face of Rev. Mr.. Barry
whose sermon she had found SO tedious
..That's my brother" /" said the woma
. of the house in tone of pride, as sh
came in with small waiter on whic
was a pitcher of rich milk, goblet,
:. slice of warm bread, and a diminutiy
. pat of butter. "He's minister dow
. to Brentwood, about twenty miles fro
here. Perhaps you've been there? 1t
= right smart of town. Rufus he W:
real pleased with it when he first wei
, there, and mother m me we calculate
- he was fixed for life. But lately v
- amt been easy in our minds abo7
~ him"
~ She took the work-basket from tt
4 table, and set down the waiter.
st .'Now you can eat real comfortabl
70 an it'll do you good" she said.
90 sThank you; and while l eat you ca
~ tell me more about your brother. e
az is minister, you say?"
.sYes. Mother m I we made up o
q, minds from the first that Rufus was c
,e out for minister He seemed to ia
ar to it real natural. 1t cost somethil
M to fit him for it! Seemed sometimes
if we couldn't pull through. Z
n. wouldn't believe how we worked! '
y. lived down to Jonesboro' then,
es owned our own house. 1t wasn't mu
ID of a house," with little laugh, 't
Id it did well enough for us. l went
school till l was eleven. N then
ott turned in n helped mother sew. II
lid was all the schooling ever had, for
a never had time to 60 any more, we b
1T to work and pinch so to keep Rufe
i'll college. I've seen the time | did
O. have a new dress for three years har
NO running. But I didn't mind it mu
nv for never had chance to run arou
,ep much, like most young folks. A
Is, Rufe was the best boy ever lived!
nd wasn't no sacrifice to work for hl
an Well, we got him through at last, N
got q call to Brentwood. First thing
est did was to get married, m to help b
at. along mother m me we sold the hou